But unlike the NHL, in the NBA, an assist isn’t a big deal. It doesn’t get a player more money in contract negotiations or more status as a star player the way it does in hockey. The big stats in basketball are points, rebounds and steals, followed by blocked shots and assists.

We’re not advocating the assist fall that far down the food chain, but how about a system where an assist gets what it’s actually worth? We say goals should count for a point and assists for a half a point. (Shameless plug here: In Campbellnomics, a statistic you’ll find in THN that charts only important goals, assists are worth half a point.)

The NHL, of course, will never do this because it would compromise scoring records that have been established throughout history. And hey, they have a point there, but it’s probably not as drastic as you’d think. Here’s how the top 10 scorers of all time would look under the one point for goal and half point for assist system.

Yes, we’re going to make it official. Name the Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Homer line. Send in your suggestions and we’ll vote and happiness will ensue, as usual. What do you get? Why does it always have to be about “getting something”? You get the warmth that accompanies seeing your brilliance used again and again within the cozy confines of A2Y.

Sources tell TSN the Los Angeles Kings are in the process of returning the 19-year-old underage netminder to Lewiston of the Quebec League. He is expected to be back with his junior team as early as tomorrow.

“If you look at our season last year, towards the end of the season, we were fighting for our playoff lives,” said Hurricanes’ goaltender Cam Ward. “You’d hate to look back at your early season, thinking or wishing that you’d had a better game here or there. Every game is huge. It’s not just all about the second half or the last week, trying to get into the playoffs. It’s about what you do the entire season that really matters.

“To get off to a great start, it does help the confidence of the team.”

Ward, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in the ‘06 playoffs and the reigning player-of-the-week, is undefeated in regulation thus far.

“Right from Day One in training camp, you could definitely see the guys were a lot more excited and a lot hungrier,” he said.

The dressing-room chemistry seems to be good. It’s a real good group of guys, on a personal level, and they seem to like each other. So I don’t think that’s a problem. Is the coaching staff getting through to them? Maybe that’s an issue. The fact that Dave Lewis was brought in, as sort of a ``father figure’’ to the players, tells me that there might have been an issue with Crawford’s ability to relate to the players. I don’t know that for a fact, but if there is, that’s a bigger issue than any X’s or O’s problem or an inability to kill penalties.

In days gone by, one team’s enforcer would engage the other team’s designated hitter and the code was to oblige. More and more though, the challenges that once meant an immediate throw-down now garner a dismissive shrug. So what’s a roughneck “role player” to do except try to redefine his role?

To that end, some have made the transition from baiter to skater and proved valuable forecheckers who can score a bit. Check out Chris Neil in Ottawa and Sean Avery in New York. Even Simon made the switch from puncher only to tough guy who could also take a regular shift.

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